MARLBORO — Every penny helps when it comes to researching cures for childhood cancers such as neuroblastoma. The recent awarding of $20,000 to the Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation (AWOCCF) is quite a few pennies that will be used to advance research.
The Sherwood family of Marlboro established the AWOCCF after their son was diagnosed with neuroblastoma.
According to the American Cancer Society’s Internet website, neuroblastoma is a form of cancer that occurs in infants and young children. It is rarely found in children older than 10. The cancer starts in young nerve cells called neuroblasts, which control functions like the heartbeat and blood pressure.
Dena and William Sherwood were on vacation with their daughter, Sydney, and son, Billy, in 2008 when they noticed something amiss in their son. Billy was having balance issues and the family cut the vacation short to find out what was wrong. The child, who was 13 months old at the time, was eventually diagnosed with neuroblastoma.
Billy is now 3 and is recovering from the effects of the cancer. At the moment, Billy’s tests are clear, a fact that fills his family’s hearts with joy.
Dena Sherwood formed the AWOCCF to help raise money for cancer research and to brighten the lives of sick children. At the organization’s inception a child or family would be selected to receive assistance. The help provided ranged from paying for a father to come to visit his sick child in New York City, to hiring Walt Disney princesses to visit a sick girl who spent her days in a hospital.
The AWOCCF was participating in Chase Bank’s Community Giving, in which the bank was offering $5 million to be split among 200 charities. People were asked to vote online through Facebook to support the various charities, leading to a ranking of which charity had the most votes.
When voting concluded on July 12 the AWOCCF ranked No. 11 out of the top 200 charities, with 7,636 votes, which will result in the organization receiving $20,000.
Sirena Carnevale, with the AWOCCF, said there is currently a treatment that needs funding in order to enter a clinical trial stage. The funds received from Chase Bank will be donated to help fund that medical study.
Continuing the quest for awareness and research, Sherwood will take part in the 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave event in September. Sherwood and 45 other mothers will shave their heads for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in an effort to raise awareness of all pediatric cancers.
Also in September, Sherwood is expected to have her first book, “No Retreat – No Surrender, Living Life with Faith, Love and Cancer” released.
The book will focus on the physical journey Dena and Billy have been on as they have struggled in the world of cancer, and on the spiritual journey and how the family’s values and lives have changed through their faith.
All proceeds from the book’s sales will benefit neuroblastoma research.
For more information about the AWOCCF, visit www.awoccf.org.